This bill adds two new sections to chapter 28A.150 RCW and creates a new program and duties for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Subject to amounts specifically appropriated, OSPI must provide information and technical assistance to school districts that are exploring or implementing school starting times that begin later than in preceding years. Examples of assistance listed include summaries of studies or materials on potential student health benefits and summaries of district processes and practices used when implementing later start times, including strategies for parent/guardian engagement and potential impacts to transportation and extracurricular schedules. The bill also establishes the "later school starting times grant program," administered by OSPI, with grant awards to begin in the 2026-27 school year. Beginning in 2028, OSPI must submit an annual report to the appropriate legislative committees under RCW 43.01.036 describing and evaluating the program; the report may include summaries of actions in other states and recommendations for statutory changes. The term "school districts" in these sections explicitly includes charter schools under chapter 28A.710 RCW and state-tribal education compact schools under chapter 28A.715 RCW. Districts receiving exploration grants are eligible for implementation grants in later award cycles. This is the creation of a new statutory program and related procedural duties for OSPI (information assistance, grant administration, and annual reporting). The text does not specify appropriation amounts or funding sources, detailed eligibility criteria or application procedures for grants, exact grant amounts or selection criteria, grant timelines beyond the start year, or a concrete definition of what constitutes a "later" start time. The bill was prefiled on 01/09/25, read first time on 01/13/25, and referred to the Committee on Education.

If enacted, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction would start offering information, technical help, and a grant program to school districts (including charter and state‑tribal compact schools) that want to move bell times later, with grant awards beginning in the 2026–27 school year and annual progress reporting to the Legislature starting in 2028. For districts, that creates a new option to get planning or implementation support and possible funding to study and make schedule changes and to help manage likely impacts on transportation and extracurriculars. Practically, OSPI would need staff and funding to run the assistance and grant program, and districts could see reduced financial and logistical barriers if appropriations are provided; however, the bill leaves out key details—no dollar amounts, no clear eligibility or selection rules, no definition of what counts as a “later” start—so whether the program will reach many districts, cover implementation costs, or actually drive schedule changes depends on future appropriations and administrative rules.